Mardi Gras ends discussions to host event in Port Neches

The Aurora Krewe's float at has been rebuilt and is i the finishing stages at Laura Childress' home in Orange County as Mardi Gras in Port Arthur approaches. Photo taken Monday, February 25, 2019 Kim Brent/The Enterprise less

The Aurora Krewe's float at has been rebuilt and is i the finishing stages at Laura Childress' home in Orange County as Mardi Gras in Port Arthur approaches. Photo taken Monday, February 25, 2019 Kim Brent/The ... more

Photo: Kim Brent / The Enterprise

Photo: Kim Brent / The Enterprise

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The Aurora Krewe's float at has been rebuilt and is i the finishing stages at Laura Childress' home in Orange County as Mardi Gras in Port Arthur approaches. Photo taken Monday, February 25, 2019 Kim Brent/The Enterprise less

The Aurora Krewe's float at has been rebuilt and is i the finishing stages at Laura Childress' home in Orange County as Mardi Gras in Port Arthur approaches. Photo taken Monday, February 25, 2019 Kim Brent/The ... more

Photo: Kim Brent / The Enterprise

Mardi Gras ends discussions to host event in Port Neches

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The day the Port Neches City Council was expected to vote on the possibility of hosting Mardi Gras of Southeast Texas, organizers for the event announced they're ending discussions with the city.

"Due to irreconcilable differences, Mardi Gras Southeast Texas has chosen to opt out of further discussions with the city of Port Neches regarding relocation of the festival to Port Neches Riverfront Park," a statement from the organization said.

Mardi Gras representatives also requested the item be removed from Thursday's City Council meeting agenda.

Port Neches City Manager Andre' Wimer said there were many issues brought up during the last council meeting on which organizers and the city couldn't come to a consensus.

During the April 4 meeting, council members and city residents expressed concern about parking, a possible parade route, how alcohol would be handled and what sort of security the event would require.

Mardi Gras organizers and city staff had planned to develop more concrete answers to those questions. Event chairman Tim Romero called those conversations "promising" last week.

Wimer said he wasn't sure which issues were the most problematic. Romero said the organization would not comment past its statement released on Facebook Thursday.

But this doesn't mean the end of Mardi Gras of Southeast Texas.

"Other opportunities have been presented and will be considered," the statement said.

Beaumont is one of those opportunities, Mayor Becky Ames said.

Ames said she contacted event organizers when she heard the festival was looking for a new home, but didn't want to get in the way of any discussions going on with Port Neches.

The issue even surfaced Thursday at a Beaumont mayoral candidate forum hosted by the Press Club of Southeast Texas. A majority of the speakers said they would support bringing the event to Beaumont.

"I believe the Mardi Gras festival ... would be great in Beaumont," Ames said.

Ames said she's not yet sure what Mardi Gras could be requesting, so she doesn't know what process the conversation would have to take. She plans to meet with Mardi Gras organizers on Tuesday to talk more about the possibility. Any approval likely would occur in a public meeting.

If the event did relocate to Beaumont, she said it likely would bring in more Hotel Occupancy Tax to the city. Those revenues can be used for projects that enhance tourism, such as current renovations at the Tyrrell Park Community Center.

Mardi Gras organizers ended their statement telling people to "watch for announcements in the near future."